Poteach Sh’arim:

Opening the Gates of Possibilities

Third Annual All-Maggidic Conference

Jewish Sacred Storytelling, Ritual Arts, and Spiritual Facilitation

July 16-20, 2008
Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince Street, Berkeley, CA

Share your skills, spirit and vision for the maggidic movement – a modern approach to Jewish story and spiritual leadership that is revitalizing communities worldwide. Participatory workshops, ritual, and performances will feature master maggidim and emerging voices, including:

Last year teachers, practitioners, and students of maggidut assembled to share stories, techniques, and discussions of meaning and purpose, all in a rich field of kavannah and devekut. This year we expect over two hundred participants to discover more of what we do not yet know.

We are inviting presentations from established leaders and emerging voices, as well as luminaries in neighboring fields. We also envision resources, workshops, panels, networking and mutual support, as well as moments in time that incorporate new and old rituals.

What a wonderful Shabbat! Ellen Triebwasser and I had the privilege of storytelling for Kabbalat Shabbat and leading a Shabbat “Lunch and Learn” about storytelling at Kehillat Lev Shalem, the Woodstock Jewish Congregation led by Rabbi Jonathan Kligler (read about them in the New York Times).

The stories we told were mostly modern, but they all contained that spark of mysticism and magic that makes Jewish stories so unique. The drive home through the late Autumn foliage, the trees highlighted by the remnants of an overnight dusting of snow, was the perfect cap to a great day.

On Shabbat evening and day, November 9 and 10, I will be joining some other maggidim at Kehillat Lev Shalem (recently featured in the New York Times) for a Shabbaton of maggidut and storytelling. I’ll let you know as the details emerge!

This year I made the transition from sermons to stories: no more written speeches, no “hiding” behind the pulpit, but a full telling to the congregation. I can tell you that from my perspective, it’s a perfect fit…

For Erev Rosh Hashanah I told “The Miku-bal in New Jersey,” a story by Michael Chefitz recorded in his book, “The Curse of Blessings.” The next morning I told “A Garment for the Moon,” a story derived from a passage by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav as recorded by Howard Schwartz in his book, “Miriam’s Tambourine.” Both texts are excellent sources of material; Chefitz creates modern stories with a Kabbalistic platform, and Schwartz enhances old stories with a loving pen.

These are not stories “for” children, although I obviously hope they touch everyone’s spirit, no matter the age of their bodies. In what was a definite goosebump moment, one young child (maybe 8?) came up to me after the first story and asked if I knew anyone who could let their spirit fly up into the sky (like the girl in the story). Yes, I told him – why do you ask?

He replied, “I can do that too! The first time was just before I was born…”

As for Yom Kippur, I told Chefitz’ story “Of Praise and Patience,” a sweet retelling of the Creation with a Kabalistic flavor, and the Hasidic tale of the window and the mirror. The former seemed to provoke a lot of questions, and the latter seemed to hit the mark as well.